PSAC Football Athletes of the Week – 7
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. --- The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced this week’s football athletes of the week. From the East, JaDen McKenzie of West Chester University was selected for offense, Tyler Whary of Kutztown University was selected for defense, and Mike Baloga of Bloomsburg University was picked for special teams. In the West, Harry Woodbery, Charles Ingram and Tyler Luther of Indiana University of Pennsylvania earned a sweep in offense, defense, and special teams, respectively.
EAST
Offensive Athlete of the Week
West Chester
Ja’Den McKenzie
Running Back
Morton, Pa. / Springfield
Ja'Den McKenzie rushed for 135 yards and a TD in West Chester's 42-24 win over ESU Saturday. His 72-yard run down to the 1-yard line set up another TD plunge from QB Shane Dooley. McKenzie averaged a first down every time he carried the ball (10.4 yds per rush). He rushed 13 times in the game, helping WCU to a season-best 326 rushing yards in the game.
Defensive Athlete of the Week
Kutztown
Tyler Whary
Junior
Linebacker
Hereford, Pa. / Upper Perkiomen
Kutztown redshirt junior linebacker Tyler Whary recorded a pair of sacks and seven tackles as the 25th-ranked Golden Bears extended their PSAC East winning streak to 12 games Saturday evening with a 20-3 victory over Shippensburg. Shippensburg came in averaging better than 30 points per game, but Whary and the Golden Bears shut them down, allowing just 19 rushing yards and less than 150 yards of total offense. The Raiders only points came off a short field in the first quarter as a result of a muffed punt. With Whary helping lead the way, Kutztown registered seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss in the win.
Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Bloomsburg
Mike Baloga
Freshman
Kicker
Hazle Township, Pa. / Marian Catholic
Baloga was a perfect 5-for-5 in kicked extra points and hit a 25-yard field goal in the Huskies 44-0 win over Lock Haven. The only blemish was a fumbled hold on the final extra point attempt of the game for the Huskies.
WEST
Offensive Athlete of the Week
IUP
Harry Woodbery
Graduate Student
Quarterback
The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands
Harry Woodbery tied a school record with five touchdown passes to lead the Crimson Hawks to a 48-21 win at No. 6 Slippery Rock. The five scores tied the record set by Brian Eyerman against Edinboro in 2002. Woodbery was 23-of-36 for 312 yards, all season-highs for the grad transfer. He had six completions of over 20 yards, including a 66-yarder to Duane Brown, the longest completion of the season for IUP.
Defensive Athlete of the Week
IUP
Charles Ingram
Freshman
Safety
Drexel Hill, Pa. / Monsignor Bonner
Charles Ingram had two interceptions and broke up a pass to lead IUP's defensive effort as the Crimson Hawks upset No. 6 Slippery Rock 48-21 on the road. His first interception of SRU's Andrew Koester came in the second quarter with under four minutes left, which led to an IUP touchdown and a 24-7 lead heading to halftime. Ingram's second pick came in the IUP endzone as Koester looked to cut into the Hawks' lead on a fourth-down play in the fourth quarter. His pass breakup came right before that second interception on SRU's third-down play.
Special Teams Athlete of the Week
IUP
Tyler Luther
Freshman
Placekicker
Chambersburg, Pa. / Chambersburg
Tyler Luther scored 12 points and was perfect in the kicking game during IUP's 48-21 win over No. 6 Slippery Rock on Saturday. Luther scored the first points of the game with a field goal and made another in the third quarter to give IUP a 34-7 lead. He also made all six of his extra point attempts on a windy day in Slippery Rock.
ABOUT THE PSAC
Headquartered in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference comprised of 18 institutions in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The member institutions are Bloomsburg University, California University of Pennsylvania, Clarion University, East Stroudsburg University, Edinboro University, Gannon University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown University, Lock Haven University, Mansfield University, Mercyhurst University, Millersville University, The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Seton Hill University, Shepherd University, Shippensburg University, Slippery Rock University and West Chester University.